Disklike plaything



June 2, 1953 P. w. GARBO Q 2,640,699

DISKLIKE PLAYTHING Filed Aug. 28, 1947 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l &1

IN VEN TOR.

June 2, 1953 P. w. GARBO 2,640,699

DISKLIKE PLAYTHING Filed Aug. 28, 1947' 2 Shee'lfS-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented June 2, 1 953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 2,640,699 Bismark!) PLAYT'HING Paul'W. Garbo, Freeport, N; Y. sgigiiatmmugfist 2a, 1947', stated No. 771,649

4- Claims? (01. 273-406) This invention relates to a; playth ingwhich, more particularly, compri'ses'a resilient body hay ing a disk-like shape and beingadapted for whirling or throwing through the air. v

In the field of sports and exercise, b'alls hold a prominent position. To hurl a ball to and fro between players is an enioyable' pastiine involv ing healthfulexercise by the players. As known, an overhand throw develops certainmusclesof the player while an underhand throw develops others. I

A primary objectf this" inventionis to provide means for enjoyable exercise calling into play muscles and physical movements which are not involved in ordinary ball p1aying'.

A related object is t'o'provid'e a playthi'ng' for developing graceful'n'ess and suppleness in players through exercise; 7 I

A further object is to provide a device for the amusement of young andold alike. H

Other objects of my invention will beappareht from the description which follows.

I have found that an object having a resilient surface anda shape substantially like that of a disk is a versatile plaything of wide appeal For a clearer understanding of my invention, reference is now made tothe'a'ppended drawings of which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of disk illustrative of my invention;

Figure 2 shows the disk of Figure l partly as an elevation and partly as a section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 represents a partial section taken along the line il of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a partially sectioned view, similar to Figure 4, presenting still another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a plan view of another form of disk, pait of the upper face being broken away to show the inner construction; and

Figure '7 is a sectional view of the disk of Figure 6 taken along the line !-'l.

The disk IQ of Figures 1 and 2 has flat faces H and rounded or beveled edges I2. A smaller disk [3 of a stiffening material such as plastic, wood or aluminum forms the core of the finished dick Iii. The resilient covering of the disk it! consists of two layers M of a material like foamed or sponge rubber suitably bonded to opposite sides of the stiffening member l3 and a fiat ring 15 of the springy material fitted around the edge of disk [3 and bonded thereto as well as to the layers l-i along the interfaces i6.

The 26f of Figures 3* andyl empress} two substantially flat resilient r ces; l having central openings 2 2 with ro'und'ed edges 23: there'about and rounded edges Edi-along the periphery of the disk- 28 Two disks 25 of transparent plastic or} the like are held spaced relation so'that balls 26 may move freely therebetween when the disk 20 is hurled" or rolled; A flat ring 27 of foamed rubber has an inner tongue-like portion or flange 28 which fits between the transparent disks 25 and thus keeps thein spaces for the in-avement of the confined balls 26. As shown,- the disk 2'6" is made-up of two' fiat rings il of foamed rubber or similar soft and sprin'gy' retreat attached by adhesive to the rigid core of we; disks as and tothe fiat'ring 2-1 along the' interfaces at. The outer surface'of" the rubbery ring 2-? is pm: vided with corrugal-iions- 3|}, g V

Figure 5 shows a modified form of disk of the type presented in Figures 3 and? t; In this in stance, the disk 46 comprises two resilient rings 41 havingconcentric corrugations 4 2 on their outer races. The central openings 43* in" the two rings (H reveal the rigid-core which ismade" up of a cup-like meiiiber-ld of a transparent plastic; e; g, polystyrene or cellulose acetate-,- and-fa disk 45 of the same plastic acting as" the smear lid of the cup-like member" 441' The space within the core portion is partially filled with a liquid at such as water containing an attractive dye. The lid 45 is hermetically sealed to the rim 4? of the cup-like member M. A resilient flat ring 48 surrounds the liquid-containing core portion and is united to the rings il along the interfaces 49.

The disk 50 of Figures 6 and '7 has convex faces 5| and an undulating periphery 52. A ring 53 of a stiffening material, e. g., metal or plastic, is embedded in disk 56. In the particular form represented by Figures 6 and '7, disk 50 is made by cementing or otherwise bonding together two elements of resilient material having convex faces 5| and rounded edges 54; the two elements are joined together along their fiat faces 55. As shown, the elements may be formed with cavities 56 in the fiat faces 55 so as to reduce the weight of the finished disk 50. The cavities 56 which provide gas cells or pockets within disk 50 also function to increase the softness and resilience of the disk.

A more specific example illustrative of my invention will be given in terms of a disk of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2. The stiffening core was a disk of cellulose acetate, measuring 5 inches in diameter and inch in thickness. This core was sandwiched between two %-inch layers of foamed rubber and was encircled by a flat ring of the same rubber. The resilient covering over the plastic core was held together by adhesive. The finished disk was 8 inches in diameter and weighed 11 ounces. It could be hurled through the air by one player with the same easy swinging motion reminiscent of an ancient discus-thrower and could be caught While in flight by another player Without difficulty or fear of injury. It could be bounced off a wall or floor by whirling the disk in such manner that the flat portion of its edge struck the surface from which it was to rebound. As in billiards, the disk could be thrown with English or spun to alter the direction of bounce when the disk contacted a fixed surface. Children enjoyed rolling it along the ground to one another at high speed without hurting themselves. In short, the disk was found an amusing and healthful plaything in the home, on the lawn, at the beach or at any other recreational place.

The dimensions of the disk may be varied as desired but for throw-and-catch exercise I find that disks of about 6 to 10 inches in diameter and about 1 to 2 inches in thickness are more desirable. Also, the weight may be varied at will but for safety the disk is usually made to weigh less than 1 pound.

While the several illustrative embodiments of my invention have been described as comprising an outer surface or casing of foamed rubber (natural or synthetic) which is the preferred resilient material, other resilient constructions may be employed. For instance, the disk may have a sheet covering of a suitable material such as leather, rubber, fabric or flexible plastic film, like the covering on a baseball, and cotton wadding, animal hair, feathers, wool, glass fibers, steel wool, or a similar stufiing material may fill the sheet covering to form the disk and provide a soft, springy surface.

The simplified forms of the disks shown in Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7 are generally preferred by adults, while children usually favor disks of the types represented by Figures 3, 4 and having the additional attraction of moving parts which give pleasing visual and sound effects when the disks are rolled or hurled.

Those skilled in the art will visualize many other modifications and variations of the playing disks of my invention. For instance, instead of forming a disk by cementing together two or more elements, the disk may be molded as a unitary product. It is, therefore, intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A plaything in substantially the form of a disk with substantially symmetrical opposite faces adapted for hurling and catching exercise, which comprises a soft resilient outer casing made of foamed rubber measuring about six to ten inches in diameter and about one to two inches in thickness, and a stiffening inner rigid core, said inner core occupying only a minor proportion of the volumetric extent of said plaything and said outer casing providing a solid, thick rim about said inner core.

2. The plaything' of claim 1 wherein said inner core is made of transparent material and. said outer casing is disposed around said inner core to permit light to pass through the central portion of said inner core.

3. The plaything of claim 2 wherein said inner core is hollow and contains a movable body.

4. The plaything of claim 3 wherein said movable body is liquid.

PAUL W. GARBO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 715,795 Haskell Dec. 16, 1902 1,292,011 Monroe Jan. 21, 1919 1,949,567 Goddard Mar. 6, 1934 2,017,501 Howard Oct. 15, 1935 2,223,091 Bresnahan et al. Nov. 26, 1940 2,410,845 Snell Nov. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 918 Australia Feb. 15, 1927 18,716 Great Britain 1902 411,014 Great Britain May 31, 1934 

